Grate



Jan. 3l, 1928.

H. F. MARTINEAU GRATE Filed Jan. 20, 1925 l I vgNTo/r M'r/Eys Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES HENRY F. MARTINEAU,

oF soLvAY, NEW Yonx.

GIR/ATE.

Application led'lanuary 20, 1,925. Serial No. 3,573.`

This invention relates to afire box Vgrate for locomotive boilers and other heating apparatus having relatively large combustion chambers for burning soft coal and other solid.A fuels.

In the use of grates commonly employed in heating apparatus of` this character the slag or molten clink'ers accumulating upon the surface of the grate tend to obstruct the draft or free flow of air from the ash pit through the fuel to such an extent as to greatly reduce combustion of the fuel with the resultthat it is difficult to maintain the desired steam pressure for any long period of time'without entirely withdrawing the fuel and cleaning the grates from these obstructions, thereby making it necessary to frequently remove the engine from service for cleaning purposes, all of which adds materially to the `operating expenses and imposes unnecessary delays and inconveniences on the operators and general public.

The main object of this invention is to reduce these difficulties to a minimum byproviding a grate of such character that the slag or molten clinkers'may be more effectively broken up bythe operation of the grate bars. g

In other words, I have sought to-construct the 'grate bars in such manner that when turned by any suitable operating means different portions of eachbar and also of adjacent bars will be brought to different levels thereby causing a similar movement of the slag or molten clinkers for breaking up the continuity of themore or less molten mass into sufficiently reduced sizes to enable the broken parts to fall through the grates into the ash pit and-thereby to maintain a more cfhcient draft of air through the fuel with the result that the locomotive or other apparatus equipped with this grate may be run continuously for a longer period of time than has heretofore been practised.

Other objects. and uses yrelating to specific parts of the device will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective' view of the detached grate and its supporting frame7 the grates of one series Vbeing fully .opened and the set of grates closed;

Figure 2 isa longitudinalvertical sectional viewl taken on line 2-2, Figure l.

`Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical `sectional view taken on line Figure l.

` A sillustrated this grate'comprises a substantially rectangular frame j m`land a plurality of series or sets of grate bars, the frame 1 being provided with a central lengthwise partition -l"- of `"substantially the same height as the remaining portions of. the frame.

The oppositeV sides and intermediate partition of the frame are provided with journal bearings -3 for receiving suitable trunnions as `lon the ends of the grate bars of each set.

"lhese grate bars are arranged to revolve in their respective compartments about parallel axes transversely of the frame .-1- and inasmuch las the compartments are of substantially the samewidth the grate bars in each compartment are of correspondinglength to extend from side to side of the compartment in which they'are located.

y That is, the grate bars of each set revolve Y about axes in uniformly spaced relation lengthwise of the frame or from front to rear and the axes of the bars of each set are preferably alined with the axes of the opposite bars of the other set so that the corresponding bars of eachset are movable about the same axis andare therefore arrangedl end to end in substantially the same hori` zontal plane. r

The several barsof each set are provided substantially midway between their ends with crank arms -5- projecting therefrom in the same general direction pivotallyconnected to an operating rod or bar 6% for simultaneously rocking movementabout., their respective axis, said operating lbar being extended forwardly beneath the grate bars and through openings l 7m in the front and rear sides of the frame as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3, the front ends of the bars being adapted to be connected to any well-known form of operating lever not necessary to herein illustrate or describe.

.The grate bars of each set are preferably tapered from end to end but are arranged in reverse order so that alternate bars taper in vment of the several bars so as to entirely close with the adjacent ends of the frame when closed, the innerA edges of ithe saine end bars being .rfllged yat an angle tosaid axesor diagonally ofthe frame.

Both edgesbf the 'intermediate bars of eachset are ydisposed at equal angles to their axesofrotation and are ofequal taperbut reversely arrangedpas previously explained. the angle of inclination of the inner edges of lthe end :barsbeing egual'to that ofthe edges ofthe intermediate bars relatively to y.their axes of movement.

Under'these conditions each bar will be considerablywider at one end than at its opposite endl and the smaller endsof alternate bars "will be interposed between vthe larger ends ofthe remaining bars and it therefore follows that when the grate bars of each set are closed they will lie in substantially the same horizontal plane, but when openedthe upper edges will lie in inclined planes, those'ofadjacentbars inclining in oppositedirections 'as shown moreclearly in Fislue 1 and 3f l That is, when the bars of either set yare opened, the wider ends of alternate bars will proj'eetsonie distanceabove the correspondfingends' of the other bars, thus producing higl'ifand" low supporting lpoints alternating witheach other at"both ends'ofthe bar of each se t,the'pu rpose o f which is to break 'up the continuity of the slag or molten clinhers which may rest upon the bars whereby the broken pieces inayreadily pass downwardly between' thebars'into the ash pitto enable 'the air to circulate freely through the fuel for combustion purposes.

'llhe'cranky arms -`5- constitute rein forcingribsfor the grate bars and are preferably curved Aalong their outer edges toperlnit the 4`:tree movement of the bars from theirl closed `toptlieir open positions and vice versa withoiitfriction'al Contact with the crank arms and at the saine time permitting the grate `liars to be assembled in relatively close vproxto each other. The journal bearings in the upper edge of the partition 11- are preferably open at the top to per- Vmit thegrate lbars to be removed and replaced at williit beingunderstood that the vbearings `-3- in the'side walls of the yframe -lMare sufficiently large to permit this displacement and replacementof thebars.

The construction of the grate bars of uniform taper enables them to be interchanged from side to side and used in either compartment without alteration.

Operation.

gratesuiiiciently to interfere with the free draft of air vtherethrough the grates of either set'or both sets may be't'urned'to the position shown in the upper part of Figure lfthereby lift-ingthe portions of the slag engaged with thehigh parts of the bal-sand allowing the interveningl portions to fall back onLthe low edgesof the intervening hars which is ordinarily Sutiicieneto break up the slag to Vsuch an extent-as to allo7 'the pieces to fall ythrough the vintervening spaces between the bars and if the slag is not suiiiciently broken upby the first opening of the bars the opera 'tion may be repeated until the desired result is accomplished.

This breaking up of the slag is greatly facilitated by the reverse inclination of the edges of adjacent bars which prevents any uniform sag yof the slag between alternate bars from end to end tl1e1eof,`the degree of elevation and depression ofthe bars depending upon the extent to which they are opened as controlled by the Vforward and 1earward movement of the operating mem- It is, of course, obviousthat if the operation of one set of bars does not properly break up the slag the other set may be similarly'operatedto complete the disintegration of said slag sufliciently to allow it to 'fall through the openings between the bars.

lllll lli-3 The construction shown is particularly simple and eiiicient but it is evident that varions changes maybe made in the detailed constructions of thefralne and grate'hars and other parts of the device without departing from the spirit of this invention.

lhat I claim is i 1. A grate comprising a frame: gratehars liournaled side by side at their end in the frame to swing about parallel axes, said bars being substantially yless in thickness than in either length or width, adjacent bars being tapered in opposite directions lengthwise of their axes.

2. A grate asin claim 1 in which allot the bars are provided with crank arms on one VLenses p f a' those of each set having their outer ends bars of each set are provided with crank journaled in the outer Walls of the frame, arms depending from-one and the same side and their inner ends journaled'in the partithereof and separate operating bars one for tion so that the bars of each set are free to each set of grate bars and each pvotally con- 5 swing about parallel axes, adjacent'bars of neoted to the crank arms of its corresponding l5 each set being tapered in opposite directions set. lengthwise of their axes, said hars being In Witness WhereofI hereunto set my hand substantially less in thickness than in either this 6th day of January, 1925. length or Width. e

1U 4. A grate as in Claim 3 in which the grate HENRY F. MARTINEAU. 

